[Values of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Fractional Anisotropy in the Diagnosis of Brucella Spondylitis].

Objective To compare the differences in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) between brucella spondylitis (BS) groups at different stages before treatment and the normal control group and to evaluate the change trend of ADC value and FA value at different time points before and after treatment. Methods Totally 53 patients suspected of BS by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and later confirmed as BS patients by serological tests were enrolled in this study. These patients underwent conventional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging scans,and the ADC value and FA value were measured. Independent sample t test was used to compare the ADC value and FA value between the BS group and the control group,the ADC value and FA value between the BS group at each stage. Repeated measurement ANOV was used to compare the ADC values and FA values at different time points before and after treatment. Results FA imaging showed that the color code of BS was different from that of the normal control group,and the color code of FA imaging showed increased singal. The ADC values of BS in the acute,subacute,and chronic stages [(1.45±0.02)×10 -3 mm 2/s,(1.35±0.03)×10 -3 mm 2/s,(1.26±0.05)×10 -3 mm 2/s,respectively] were significantly higher than those in the control group [(1.06±0.09) ×10 -3 mm 2/s](t=2.538,P=0.009;t=1.998,P=0.032;t=1.575,P=0.004),and the FA value (0.55±0.02,0.65±0.03,0.71±0.04,respectively) were significantly lower than those of the control group (0.78±0.02) (t=2.440,P=0.012; t=1.847,P=0.041;t=2.102,P=0.003). Repeated measurement analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in ADC values and FA values at different time points before and after treatment in the acute,subacute,and chronic stages (ADC:F=12.100,P<0.001;F=8.439,P=0.005;F=9.704,P=0.004,respectively;FA:F=7.080,P=0.002;F=6.607;P=0.003;F=8.868,P=0.001,respectively). The ADC values at different time points after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment or at a previous time point after treatment (F=332.14,P<0.001),and the FA values were significantly higher than those before treatment or at a previous time point after treatment (F=134.26,P<0.001). Conclusions FA color code can intuitively display differences in BS and normal vertebral bodies and show change of color code before and after treatment. Also,the ADC values and FA values can quantitatively reveal differences between BS and normal vertebral body in different time points and quantify BS vertebral lesion changes before and after treatment. In particular,in BS patients who are recovering from treatment,it can quantify microscopic edema. Therefore,diffusion tensor imaging may be useful objective indicator in evaluating the effectiveness of a specific treatment for BS.

Analysis of elasticity characteristics of ascending aorta, descending aorta and pulmonary artery using 640 slice-volume CT.

As the prevalence of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA), it is meaningful that CCTA can provide not only the structural details of artery, but also functional information of vessel elasticity. Our aim was to explore the elasticity characteristics of ascending aorta (AA), descending aorta (DA), main pulmonary artery (MPA), left pulmonary artery (LPA), right pulmonary artery (RPA), and their relationship between each other using 640 slice-volume computed tomography (CT). Furthermore, this study will also observe their relations with age.A total of 42 subjects that were free of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia underwent CCTA on 640 slice-volume CT and were enrolled in this study. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: Group 1, age <46; Group 2, age ≥46. The aortic distensibility (AD) and aortic compliance (AC) of aorta and pulmonary artery (PA) of each group were compared.The AD and AC of PA decreased in the following order: MPA, RPA, and LPA. The correlation coefficients of different elastic parameters between different vessels were found to be different. The correlation coefficient of AD between AA and DA, AA and MPA, DA and MPA, RPA and MPA, LPA and MPA, and RPA and LPA were 0.689 (P = .000), 0.520 (P = .000), 0.393 (P = .010), 0.329 (P = .033), 0.579 (P = .000), and 0.534 (P = .000), respectively. The correlation coefficients of AC for the 6 groups mentioned above were 0.351 (P = .023), 0.470 (P = .002), 0.249 (P = .112), 0.190 (P = .228), 0.441 (P = .005), and 0.409 (P = .010), respectively. There was an age-dependent decrease of AD and AC in AA, DA, MPA, LPA (P < .05), but no difference in RPA (P > .05).The elasticity characteristics of AA, DA, MPA, LPA, and RPA could be well shown by 640 slice-volume CT. The elasticity relativity was observed and was different between AA and DA, AA and MPA, LPA and MPA, LPA and RPA. An obvious age-related decrease in vascular elasticity was found in AA, DA, MPA, and LPA, which should be taken into consideration in clinical trials and treatments for the elasticity-related cardiovascular diseases.